Unintended
by soAwkward
Summary: Set before the epilogue in Eclipse. After escaping death, James is tracking Bella once again, but this time he doesn't want to kill her. He lost his love and needs a replacement.
1. Prologue

Summary: Set before the epilogue in Eclipse. Someone from the past visits Bella unexpectedly and changes the course of her future. AU, BellaxJames.

I do not own Twilight or any of the Twilight characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**Prologue**

At sunset, a man lounged noiselessly on the limb of a massive tree. One leg dangled off the branch, slowly swaying back and forth. Aside from this subtle motion, no other signs of movement came from the figure as he reclined against the tree trunk with his eyes closed. A sudden drop of moisture on the man's face seemed to startle him into awareness. Curiously, he touched his cheek. Glancing up, he noticed the water dripping from the higher branches.

Releasing a deep sigh, he straightened up and reached into the pocket of his ragged jeans. Lifting his hand to eye-level, he gazed at the single strand of hair held delicately between his fingers. Even in the fading light, the ginger hair shimmered, almost as though it was burning as he twirled it around his fingers. As the final beam of sunlight finally disappeared below the tree line, he took in a deep breath and swiftly clenched the strand in his fist, shutting his eyes. His hand began to lower, but paused just before reaching his pocket. Opening his eyes, he let out the breath he was holding and unclenched his hand, allowing the wisp of hair to slip from his fingertips. He leaned over to watch it drift leisurely downward, catching on branches every so often. When it finally touched the ground, he climbed to his feet, balancing agilely on the tree branch.

With a slight smile on his lips, he effortlessly dropped the hundred feet to the ground and started running.

******

AN: This is my first fanfic, so please review and bring on the criticism. If you notice any discrepancies from the books, grammatical errors, or badly written dialogue, PLEASE let me know and I will do my best to make changes. While you're at it, go ahead and let me know if the story is just plain stupid.


	2. Safety

Author's note: I do not own Twilight or any of the Twilight characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 1: Safety**

"If you don't hurry up and leave, Charlie's gonna make you eat enchiladas with us," I warned Edward as I ineffectually shoved him toward the front door. "He's starting to think you have an eating disorder."

I am not happy to send Edward away, but I know how much he needs to hunt. The fight with Victoria and Riley drained him, and that was over a week ago. He was too busy basking in the glory of our official engagement (_shudder_) to hunt with his brothers last weekend. I can tell how thirsty he is by the dark circles under his black eyes. I'm not worried about my own safety. Edward would never hurt me, but I don't want him to suffer just to keep me company.

"It's not that bad, Bella. I can put it off for a few more days," Edward murmured as he tenderly tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. He gently lifted my hands from their position on his chest and settled them on his waist. Wrapping his arms securely around me, he said, "I'm not ready to leave you alone yet."

Yeah. As though I'm ever actually alone. I have a continual guard of vampires and giant wolves watching over me. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to argue with Edward when I feel his wonderfully cool body wrapped around me. Reluctantly, I pushed away from him.

"You said it yourself. I'm safe now. No one is coming after me. Victoria is dead and the Volturi know that we have a date set for the change," I argued. "I'll be fine while you're gone. In fact, I'm calling off the entire safety patrol for the night. I want to enjoy one peaceful evening knowing that no one has to protect me from things that go bump in the night."

Edward began to protest immediately. "No. Absolutely not. There is no way I'm leaving you unsupervised."

"Unsupervised?" I replied incredulously. "I'm not a toddler that needs to be babysat! I agree that I need some protection when homicidal vampires are after me, but I don't need someone to watch my every move."

"I didn't say that you needed a babysitter. I would just feel better if someone was here to make sure that you are safe. Please, love, for me?" he asked, gazing down at me with so much love and concern that I practically melted. He has such an unfair advantage when we argue.

I was determined to stand my ground this time, though. For the first time in months, I was completely free from danger. There was no reason for Edward to treat me like spun glass. I survived for sixteen years without his protection; I could certainly handle one weekend on my own.

"Nope. Not this time. I want _all_ of them called off," I insisted."And I'll ask Alice for confirmation. You know she'll tell me the truth if I ask."

"Not if I threaten to take back the Porsche," he said, grinding his teeth.

"First of all, you already said that you wouldn't take back the car. And second of all, what do you think matters more to her -- the Porsche or getting to plan the wedding? I have way more leverage than you when it comes to bribing Alice," I said smugly.

"Fine. No guards for tonight. But you'll call Alice if anything happens? I mean _anything_. If you stub your pinky toe, I want you to call. She can be here in five minutes."

"I win?"

"Well, I've been feeling generous since you agreed to marry me," Edward said, smiling down at me as he stroked my hair.

"Where's my camera when I need it! I want to document this moment. You actually trust me to look after myself. I never thought the day would come!" I exclaimed.

"Don't gloat," he said, frowning. "It's just for the weekend. I'm not taking any chances with you until you are a little less… breakable."

Cupping my face with his hands, he bent down kiss me. A shiver ran down my spine as I felt his icy lips touch mine. As usual, he broke off the kiss as soon as I began to show some enthusiasm. With a crooked grin, he gave me another quick peck on the cheek before disappearing out the front door. At times like this, I remind myself of the positive aspects of our impending marriage. Soon, Edward won't pull away from me every time we kiss.

With a sigh, I wandered into the living room to let Charlie know that dinner would be ready soon. He barely glanced up from the baseball game he was watching. I'm so glad that Edward isn't interested in televised sports. I don't think I could handle an eternity of Monday Night Football. Ick.

I headed to the kitchen to finish up dinner. I checked on the enchiladas in the oven and put some tortillas on the stove to heat up. I had been trying to cook all of my favorite meals since I realized that I wouldn't be enjoying the taste of food for much longer. A few minutes later, I served our food onto plates and set them on the table. Charlie and I enjoyed one of our pleasantly silent meals. He had been fairly resigned to my engagement, once the initial shock had worn off. As soon as we finished eating, he returned to the game as I washed the dishes.

I had no idea how to spend my night alone. Usually, I was anxious to head off to bed so that Edward could sneak in my bedroom window. I definitely did not want to go out anywhere. After just a week, I was tired of people glancing surreptitiously from my engagement ring to my stomach, searching for a tell-tale baby bump. It's downright humiliating to be an engaged 18-year-old. I've been suffering immense guilt about any young wives that I've judged in the past, although I'm sure that none of them were in my exact predicament.

I decided to head to bed early, regardless of the absence of my usual nighttime visitor. I realized that with the patrol called off, I could run around my room naked with the curtains wide open, without worrying about what any teenage werewolves might see. I won't, though. That would be weird. Instead, I brushed my teeth and stayed in the bathroom to change into my pajamas. Some habits are hard to break. I stood in front of my bookshelf for a few minutes, debating between _Jane Eyre_ and _Emma_. I decided that I wasn't really in the mood for crazy ex-wives and chose the latter. I curled up in Edward's rocking chair and with the light from my bedside lamp, let myself get lost in the town of Highbury.

I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up, the clock by my bed said that it was after midnight. I had a horrible crick in my neck from sleeping in the chair and a puddle of drool had accumulated where my mouth had rested against my shoulder.

"Ew," I said, wrinkling my nose as I tried to wipe the drool off my t-shirt. It wasn't until I stood up and stretched that I noticed the figure standing in the shadows at the far side of the room. "Edward! You're supposed to be hunting. Why did you come back early? Is everything alright?"

When the figure stepped forward into the light, my heart stopped beating for an instant. It wasn't Edward.

"Hey, Bella," said James. "Miss me?"


	3. Ill fated

AN: I do not own Twilight or any of the Twilight characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 2: Ill-Fated**

Crash! I had stumbled backward, tripping over the rocking chair and knocking over the lamp. I barely managed to stifle the scream that fought to escape my throat. "No! You're dead!" I gasped.

"Bella? What's going on in there?" Charlie's voice called sleepily from his bedroom down the hall.

James held one finger to his lips. "Shhh…" he said softly, "You don't want daddy coming in here to check up on you, do you? Tell him you're alright."

I could hear the blood pounding in my ears as I scrambled to my feet. My eyes did not leave James as I edged around my bed to the door. Charlie can't come in right now. There's still a chance that James will leave him alone after he finishes me. I cracked the door open and struggled to keep my voice steady as I called out, "I just fell out of bed. I'm okay. Go back to sleep, Dad."

With shaking hands and an intense desire to be sick, I carefully shut the door. James hasn't changed. Not really. His formerly long hair is cropped short and he's lost that leather jacket. He isn't wearing anything but a worn out pair of blue jeans. But his eyes still glow crimson. He is watching me silently, his head cocked to the side. I remember that look from the ballet studio. He's curious about something. Silently, I pray that his interest will keep me alive for a little bit longer. Long enough for Edward to go back on his word and send someone to check on me. No – I don't want that. I can't bear the thought of a member of my family trying to take on James.

"I see that you haven't given up that loyal, protective attitude yet. Most girls would have run for their daddy by now," James said with a smirk. He sauntered the short distance across the room to me. Revulsion flooded through me as he brushed the fingers of his right hand up and down my arm. "But you aren't like other girls, are you, Bella? That's very convenient. For me, of course, not you."

I shut my eyes as my breath came out in short gasps. "Th-they killed you," I stammered, struggling to wake myself from this nightmare. "Jasper and Emmett. They ripped you apart, and they burned you. You're dead. You're dead."

"Really? Well, in that case, death is rather disappointing." I opened my eyes to see him raise his eyebrows at my insistence of his demise. "Actually," he continued, "I have you to thank for my continued existence. You're the reason that the job was not done as thoroughly as it should have been. You see, your blood just smelled so damn good that your friends had to leave before they attacked you. Vampires have remarkable powers of healing, you know, as long as we are not completely reduced to ashes. It took a while, of course, until I was able to fully recover." He paused briefly. "Well, maybe not fully. I couldn't find a couple of pieces."

He held up his left hand as he spoke and waved three fingers at me. I hadn't noticed his hand before as it hung at his side. His ring finger and pinky were missing. The skin where they should have been attached was blackened and charred. Oh, crap. I wasn't having a nightmare. This was very real. I never would have dreamed that he was missing fingers. In my nightmares, he is whole and terrifying and deadly.

I began to weep silent tears. This is it, I thought. Edward's right. I am jinxed. _Edward_, my heart cried. The thought of never seeing him again, never hearing his sweet voice was enough to wrench a sob from my chest. Frantically, I covered my mouth and stifled any other cries. I couldn't risk Charlie hearing me.

"Please," I wept, "Please don't hurt Charlie. Kill me and leave. Please!"

James's head jerked back in surprise. He cocked his head to the side again. "Kill you? Bella, Bella, Bella, I'm not going to kill you. Don't you remember? It's the hunt that I love. And once again, catching you has been a little too easy. There would be no satisfaction in your death."

My breath caught as I looked at him in confusion. What did he want? Was he just going to wait here for Edward? Is that his plan? Terror shot through me at the memory of the last time they had fought. I had been in so much pain that I hardly understood what was happening. But I knew that his brothers were there to help him that time. I didn't know if Edward could survive by himself.

James began to circle me slowly with a disturbingly sociable expression on his face. I cringed when I saw his eyes running up and down my body. He continued speaking, "Don't worry, I'm not planning on killing your boyfriend either." He paused, glancing at my left hand. "Pardon me, your _fiancé_. I've got some new plans. As you know, revenge didn't work well for Victoria."

I was shocked to see a spasm momentarily contort his face as he mentioned his deceased mate. Briefly, I thought I saw something like grief flash through his eyes. I had believed Edward when he told Victoria that she nothing more than a useful partner to James. I had not imagined James to be capable of actual emotion. I quickly squashed down any traitorous feelings of compassion for the monster circling me.

"I didn't recover in time to save her," James said as he twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. "She died for me. I won't disrespect her memory by allowing your precious Edward to go unpunished. But I've decided that he wouldn't suffer enough if you simply died. I heard about what happened the last time he thought you were dead. His own death would follow too quickly. I want to him to suffer forever."

James was facing me once again, his face mere inches from mine. The friendly expression was completely erased. I could see the tension in his jaw and the tight set of his mouth. His eyes, which had been crimson when he first entered the room, had deepened in his anger to a sinister black. I gulped nervously and unconsciously took a small step back. "W-what's the new plan?" I whispered, hardly audible even to myself. He smiled crookedly at my question, his anger disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

"Why not punish perfect Edward and secure a new companion for myself at the same time? I won't kill you, Bella, but I will take you from him. You will be mine. You will love me, and hunt with me, and fight for me. That is the new plan," he finished with a smirk.

Huh? Did he just say what I thought he said?

"You're completely insane!" I gasped. I dug my fingernails into my fists in a last attempt to wake myself from this bizarre, unending dream. "You can't possibly believe that you could make me love you. You're a monster."

"Now, now, Bella, you're not giving me a fair chance," James argued. He reached for my arm with his disfigured left hand. His remaining fingers slid down my arm to my wrist. "The last time we saw each other, I was trying to kill you. That's hardly a good experience to base the future of our relationship on. I can be a whole lotta fun, once you get to know me." He gave me a quick wink as he lightly stroked the side of my wrist.

"No, no, no, NO!" I yanked my wrist away from James and covered my face in my hands in disbelief and frustration. "I am marrying Edward. If Jacob couldn't take me away from him, then _you_ certainly can't!"

"Oh, there's a Jacob now, too? Aren't you popular these days?" James sneered. "I'm not worried. Once we spend a little time together, I'm sure you'll come around to my point of view." He reached for my hands and carefully pulled them from my face.

"Time? What are you talking about? Edward won't ever let you come anywhere near me again." I struggled to reason with him. He was clearly unbalanced. Some nerve endings obviously hadn't reattached when he was putting himself back together. Did he honestly believe that he could win me over?

"Yes, I've thought of that. It would be difficult to entice you with the fiancée hanging around. But I've picked up some useful information about the two of you. He can't read your mind like he can with everyone else, can he?" James raised his eyebrow, looking at me for confirmation. I reluctantly nodded my head once. "So, if you don't tell him, he'll never know that I'm stopping by occasionally. Normally, he'd be able to pick up my scent a mile away, but there are some definite benefits to practically growing a new body. My skin doesn't have that distinctive vampire scent just yet. I expect that it will return in time, but for now, I'm free to move without detection."

"No, you're not," I declared triumphantly. How had I forgotten about Alice? Surely, she must have seen a vision of James by now. "Alice will see you and bring help. Right now, a coven of angry vampires is on their way."

"Oh, yes, pretty little Alice," James said with a sigh. "May I point out that if she had in fact seen a vision of me, your friends would have made their entrance quite a while ago? No, I don't think that Alice can see me. I suspect that it also has something to do with my revival. Now, I have a bargain to make with you. Hear me out?"

He paused then, waiting expectantly for some time of reply from me. How do I respond to that? _Um, no thanks, James. Maybe later!_ Yeah, right. I shrugged my shoulders, which seemed to be enough for him.

"Here's the deal. You will not tell Edward or anyone else that I am alive. In turn, I will not kill Edward," he explained. "You're protective nature is very convenient. Do you realize that you always underrate the abilities of those around you? Never willing to let them risk their lives for you." He grinned broadly. "That's how I know you won't tell anyone about me. If you tell, they will come after me, and you can't guarantee that I won't kill one of them before they finish me." He was right. I wouldn't risk anyone's life if I could help it.

"How long is it until the happy day?" James asked. I looked at him blankly. "The wedding day…" he prompted me.

Oh, right. Happy. "Um, two months."

He took time to consider this information, rubbing the light stubble on his chin with his thumb. Finally, he looked back at me with a nod. Had I unknowingly agreed to something? "Alright. That'll work. I'll be stopping by from time to time. Like I said, you just need to time to get to know me. It would be convenient if you arranged to spend some nights away from Edward. Just tell him you want to make the wedding night more special or some other kind of sentimental drivel."

What happened to my life? A few hours ago, I was a happily, if reluctantly, engaged woman with not a care in the world. And now James, my attempted murderer, is trying to schedule some quality time for us? Frantically, I struggled to find a way out of his twisted arrangement. I wanted to cry when I realized that I couldn't, I held back the tears. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me weep again. Suddenly, James took in a deep breath, nostrils flaring.

"You have a visitor. Time for me to make my exit. Aw, don't look so depressed, babe. I'll be back soon," James said, giving me a small pout before grinning broadly. "We're gonna have lots of fun together, Bella. I promise."

With that, he quickly grabbed my right hand, flipped it over and pressed a kiss to the crescent shaped scar exposed on my wrist. Before I could react, he had leapt fluidly out my window and into the dark night.


	4. Resolved

A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of the Twilight characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 3: Resolved

My knees buckled under me and I slumped ungracefully to the floor. For a long time, I just lay there, convulsing with deep sobs and digging my fingers into the worn carpet. I couldn't find the strength to think about James… about Edward… about anything. My mind drifted.

Slowly, memories began to wander through my mind. I remembered the time Renee made butterfly wings for my Halloween costume out of a wire coat hanger and an old pillowcase. I thought they were beautiful, but the other kids laughed and laughed. Renee took me out that night to catch fireflies… The next time I chased fireflies was in Forks, with Charlie. That was the summer he bought me a bicycle. My first and last attempt to ride a bike… I remembered riding my motorcycle with Jacob, desperate to hear the angel's voice.

I sat bolt upright. The memory of the past half hour came rushing back to me. According to James, someone was coming to check on me. I couldn't let whoever it was see me crying on the floor. It would get back to Edward. I used the bottom of my shirt to wipe the tears from my face, then rose unsteadily to my feet and began straightening my room. The rocking chair had fallen on its side when I tripped over it. I set it upright and pushed it back into its corner. I turned off the lamp after returning it to its proper location on the nightstand. Then I sat on the corner of my bed and waited. My guard would be here soon.

Less than a minute later, I heard a faint rustling from the tree outside my window. I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. A vampire would not have made any noise. Edward must have sent Seth. It would be easy enough to deal with him. I stood and walked to my window. Leaning over the ledge, I softly called out, "Seth?"

"Crap! You heard me? Yeah, Bella, it's me." Seth popped his head out from behind a leafy branch. "Did I wake you up? Man, Edward's gonna be so mad! You weren't supposed to know I was here."

I smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry about it. I was having trouble sleeping. Edward shouldn't have bothered you, anyway. If he gives you a hard time, let me know." Kneeling down, I rested my chin on my crossed arms on the window ledge. I should have realized that Edward would call Seth. Alice wouldn't be able to see a wolf checking up on me. Still, after the traumatizing events of the night, I was happy to see Seth's friendly face.

"He was really worried about you. I don't think he actually thought that anything would happen. He's a little overprotective, isn't he?" Seth observed.

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yeah, but I know it's because he loves me. And I guess I can't blame him. I have gotten into a lot of trouble since I moved here."

"Are you gonna tell him that you saw me?" Seth asked apprehensively. He had bonded with Edward since their joint attack on Victoria and Riley. Edward's approval was important to him.

"Yeah, probably. Sorry," I apologized. "But just so that I can get after him. I don't like it when he lies, even if it's to protect me."

Seth nodded briefly before frowning and sniffing the air. "Hey, do you smell that? It kind of smells like ashes. Did you just blow out a candle or something?"

I shook my head vaguely, sniffing the air around me. Suddenly, I realized what Seth had smelled. James may not smell like a vampire, but there must be a residual singed scent clinging to him. "Oh, wait, yeah," I stumbled, "Um, I did have a candle lit before. I guess it blew out when I opened the window." I needed Seth to leave before he noticed anything else or my dim-witted excuses gave me away. "You should head home. I'm gonna try to get some sleep."

"Yeah, you look like you need it," he said, observing my puffy red eyes. "Um, Jake says 'hey,' by the way. He, uh, misses you. Sleep good." He waved and started climbing back down the tree. In the dim moonlight, I could barely see his shape transforming as he ran toward the forest. The enormous wolf disappeared through the trees.

I was a little sad to lose Seth's cheerful company, although his visits always brought back unpleasant memories about Jacob. I wearily used the window ledge to pull myself to my feet and trudged to my bed. I could not afford to start agonizing over Jacob right now. I flopped facedown on the mattress and groaned into my pillow. As much as I wished that I could avoid it, I needed to think about James and his insane plans for our future. I needed to create some plans of my own.

I began to recall my last encounter with James. Usually, I struggled to keep those memories shoved deep in the back of my mind. The pain and terror I felt when James had me trapped in the ballet studio were excruciating to recollect. But now I welcomed the memories, anxious to unearth some bit of information that could help me now.

I considered whether or not I could trust James to stay away from Edward. I cringed at the idea of trusting him, but what choice did I have? Assuming that James kept his side of the bargain, I had at least two months before Edward was put into any danger. He did not specify what would happen after the wedding if his plans failed.

The one thing that I was sure of was that I would not tell Edward about James's visit. Although… the thought occurred to me that if James did not smell like a vampire yet and Alice couldn't see him yet, maybe he also had not fully regained his strength. The odds could be in Edward's favor this time. Was I willing to take that risk? Should I tell Edward and let him protect me? I shuddered, filled with self-loathing at the idea of selfishly putting his life in danger. My first instinct was correct. I couldn't tell Edward. I couldn't tell anyone. I had to finish this on my own.

For a moment, I burned with irritation that I was still stuck in my frail, human body. If only Edward had let the change take place when James had first bitten me, I would be capable of attacking James on my own. I would not be dependant on the protection of others. I briefly considered asking Carlisle to change me now, instead of waiting for the wedding and Edward. I shook my head. It would never work. Edward would demand to know why I was so desperate for the transformation, and I'm a terrible liar. I flipped onto my back and stared up at the dark ceiling, thinking hard.

What would James do if he had not accomplished his stupid goal by the wedding? If I married Edward? Reflecting on what little I knew about him, I guessed that he would not take it well. I recalled his story about Alice's improbable escape from him. He had let Alice go after she had been changed, losing all interest in her once her fragrant human blood was lost. But in his anger at losing his prey, he had destroyed the vampire who had saved her. No, I didn't think James would leave us alone when his plan failed. If anything, Edward would be in more danger.

A sudden, burning anger flamed through my body. I hated James! Why couldn't he leave us alone? Why couldn't he have just died the last time? I wanted to be the one to rip him into itty bitty tiny pieces and watch them burn. I wanted to be the one to destroy him. A thought occurred to me. Edward would not change me before the wedding, but he might be willing to change me immediately afterward, if I told him that I was afraid that he would hurt me on our wedding night. He would probably be ecstatic that I had given up the idea of spending our first night together in my frail human form. The change would take three days. Would James wait that long before attacking Edward? My instincts told me that he would. Laurent had told us so long ago that James would not attack us head on. He would wait for his opportunity. I doubted that he would try to invade a house full of vampires. James could be patient when hunting. So could I. After the change, I would be strong. Very strong. I would not be the prey. I would not be the sacrificial third wife. I would be the hunter.

I jumped up from my bed and left my room. The first step to my plan was hiding James's presence from Edward. I quietly tiptoed down the stairs, only stumbling once in the darkness. Once I got to the kitchen, I flipped on the lights and rummaged through the junk drawer. Triumphantly, I pulled out a squatty candle, grimy and striped like a candy cane. An ancient gift tag was still tied to the candle with a faded green ribbon. It was obviously a long-forgotten Christmas gift of Charlie's from someone at the station. It would work. Grabbing some matches from the drawer as well, I headed back to my room. I set the candle on my dresser, struck a match and lit the wick. The candle released a dusty, peppermint scent into the air. I needed an excuse for the burnt smell in my room. Hopefully, the candle would be enough to satisfy Edward. I stared at the flame for a few minutes, letting my eyes go in and out of focus. When the melted wax began to drip down the side of the candle, I blew it out and climbed into bed.

My mind was peaceful. As always, the agonizing part was making the decision. Relief washed through me now that I had made my choice and set my plan. I curled up on my side and tugged the comforter up to my chin. I quickly fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

*******

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed so far. You're so sweet. I'm sorry that it took me a while to get this chapter out. Just to warn you, I work full-time and I'm in grad school, which means that updates are gonna be slow. If it's going to be an exceptionally long time before I update, I will try to post a note on my profile to let you know. I'm also sorry that James isn't in this chapter, but he'll make an appearance in the next one, so keep reading.


	5. Trust, Tulle, and Towels

Disclaimer: Twilight and any Twilight characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 4: Trust, Tulle, and Towels**

Dim light fell through my window as I lazily stretched and rubbed my bleary eyes the next morning. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I had yearned for bright, blistering sunshine. Now I welcomed the heavy clouds that concealed Edward's secret and allowed him to pass as a human.

I sat up, leaning against the headboard. I was mildly surprised at how clear my mind was today. I had assumed that I would go through some sort of denial once I woke up. That I would try to convince myself that I had dreamed James' startling resurrection. Instead, I calmly mulled over the plans that I had settled on last night.

Although my strategy had made perfect sense to my dazed mind last night, I began to see a few glaring flaws. First of all, how in the world was I supposed to convince Edward that we should start spending our nights apart? Even if I did convince him to stay away, there was no way he would leave me unattended. Seth's blundered stake-out last night was proof of that.

Then, assuming that I was miraculously able to hide James' presence, I still had to persuade Edward to change me immediately after the wedding. Oh, and of course, there was the little matter of hunting down James while battling my newborn thirst for blood and without Edward catching up to me first. Somehow, this had all made much more sense last night. Terror and fury apparently cloud one's judgment.

Frustrated by the impossible situation, I lay back down, pulling the quilt over my head. I had the vague idea that I could hide from my problems just like I had hidden from monsters as a child. If I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me. I probably would have stayed buried in bed for a least a couple more hours if Charlie hadn't knocked on my door.

"Bells?" he called through the door. "Are you up?"

Reluctantly, I emerged from under the blanket and got up to open the door. "Hey, Dad. What's going on?" I asked, slightly confused. Charlie didn't usually check on me in the morning. I noticed that he had a shabby duffel bag slung over his shoulder and was wearing a decidedly disgruntled expression.

"I guess I forgot to mention it last night. The city's sending me and a couple of guys from the station to some team building retreat. Supposed to improve our communication skills or something like that." Charlie looked so miserable that I made a sincere effort to not laugh at the mental image of Charlie participating in team-building activities.

"I'm sure you'll have fun," I reassured him, failing in my attempt to hold back a grin.

"Yeah, well, the city pays signs my paycheck, so I've gotta go." Charlie shifted uneasily. I sensed there was something else bothering him. "I, uh, just wanted to check to see if Edward was going to be out of town the whole weekend."

Aha! I knew there was something else. Charlie would never believe my claims that nothing remotely indecent ever happened between me and Edward. Regrettably. Edward would probably be back by midday, but I decided to lie for Charlie's peace of mind. "That's what he told me. He's out camping with Emmett until Sunday night." I avoided Charlie's eyes as I spoke. He might not be able to read my face as easily as Edward can, but it's not difficult to tell when I'm lying. Fortunately, he seemed to believe me.

"Well, have a good weekend. If you need to get a hold of me, call the station. They'll be able to get a message to me." Charlie patted my shoulder awkwardly before tramping down the stairs.

I stood leaning against my doorway until I heard the front door slam and the faint rumble of Charlie's cruiser. I turned around to head back to my cocoon of blankets and shrieked when I saw a tall figure silhouetted against the window.

"Holy crow! Edward, you scared me!" I gasped. I looked up at him from where I lay sprawled out across my bedroom floor. I really was not good at staying upright when startled. I concentrated on slowing down my pounding heart. Not James, not James, I repeated silently to myself.

"Good morning," Edward greeted me politely. He bent down to lift me from the floor and sat on my bed, holding me in his arms. Now my heart pounded for an entirely different reason. I could smell his sweet cool breath as he gently pressed his lips to mine. I felt fluttering kisses move along my jaw. "I missed you," Edward murmured before pulling his face from mine and studying me closely.

"You look tired. Did you stay up late?" he asked reprovingly as he ran his fingers through my tangled hair. I groaned inwardly and buried my face in his soft gray t-shirt. I was utterly incapable of telling a convincing lie. There was no way that I was going to fool Edward about any of it. I silently gave thanks that at least he was unable to read my mind.

"Um, yeah, I stayed up reading for a while," I answered, my voice muffled. Not a complete lie. I had read _Emma _for a while. Maybe if I kept to half-truths, he wouldn't be able to recognize the lies. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head to look at Edward accusingly. "By the way, I had a visitor last night."

Edward's face emptied of all expression. "Really? Who was that?" he said innocently. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I grabbed a pillow and whacked him with it. He didn't even flinch, of course.

"Who do you think? You promised!" I growled.

"Bella--," Edward began before I cut him off.

"You promised that you wouldn't send anyone to watch me. Poor Seth should have been home sleeping, not scaling the tree outside my window!" I pulled myself out of his arms and sat facing him with my arms crossed. Edward frowned and shifted closer to me.

"Did he wake you up? I told him to be quiet," he muttered to himself. I huffed angrily, glaring at Edward. He groaned and ran his hand through his tousled hair, clearly frustrated at getting caught. "Bella, love, you know that I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on hunting if I was worried about you. I just wanted to keep you safe. I will always want to keep you safe. Forever."

Inspiration suddenly struck. Trust was very important in a marriage. I trusted Edward implicitly, and, truthfully, I knew that he also trusted me. His slightly overbearing tendencies were not the product of a lack of trust. He just knew from experience that I attracted danger. But I could play off the trust issue.

I softened the expression on my face and spoke seriously, "Edward. I know that you are concerned for my well-being. I love that you want to take care of me. But I am not a child. I am going to be your wife, your equal. I need to know that you will trust me to take care of myself and I need to know that I can trust you to always tell me the truth."

"I have complete confidence in you, Bella," Edward insisted. "But I know what kind of dangers the world is full of. It doesn't matter how strong you are. There will always be threats. I don't understand what's wrong with shielding you from those threats."

"It's wrong because it makes you lie to me," I said, as harshly as I could manage. I hated to do this to him, but I knew it was going to work. I would guilt Edward into staying away. "When you lie, it tells me that I can't rely on you."

"I wouldn't ever lie about something that mattered, Bella," Edward argued. His response elicited a flicker of sincere irritation from me. I didn't like that he thought some lies didn't matter.

"Lies always matter, Edward," I replied. "If it wasn't something important, why would you bother lying about it? And you have lied about important things in the past. You lied when you left me last September. You told me that you didn't want me." I hated myself for causing the look of self-loathing that crossed Edward's face when I reminded him of our past separation. He would never forgive himself for the pain I suffered when he left. I usually did my best to avoid that subject, but now I took advantage of his guilty conscience.

"No, Bella. I have not forgotten," Edward said, closing his eyes in shame. My heart ached painfully in my chest. It's for his own good, I reminded myself. James wanted me to keep Edward away. I couldn't think of any other way to do it.

"I don't know if I can trust you," I lied. I reached out for his icy hand. He had been clenching his hand into a fist, but he loosened his fingers as soon as I brushed the back of his hand. His frozen fingers gripped mine securely. I looked straight into his eyes. "When we get married, it's gonna be forever. Literally. I need to trust you before we say 'I do'."

Edward's golden eyes burned into mine as he spoke. "I will do anything. Whatever it takes to earn your trust. Just tell me what to do."

"No more lies, Edward. Not about anything. And you will call off my guard. Permanently. I don't want Seth or Alice or anyone else checking up on me." I paused to see how he was taking my demands before continuing. He didn't show any signs of protest yet. "That means you, too. I want to know that you trust me. So until the wedding, no more nighttime visits. Can you do that?"

I could see the conflict raging within Edward, but I knew that I would win. Edward would do anything for me, as I would for him. After a few painfully silent moments, he agreed with a curt nod. "All right, Bella. If this is what it takes to prove myself, then I'll do it."

I flung my arms around him, burying my head against his shoulder so that he could not see the tears that fell from my eyes. How could I go two months without his presence next to me every night? Instead, I would be constantly anticipating a visit from James. I felt as though I had just traded heaven for hell. "Thank you," I mumbled.

"Do you know how hard it will be to stay away from you?" Edward sighed. "Nights will be so dull without you."

"Yeah, like it's so interesting to watch me sleep for hours," I said sarcastically. I would never understand why Edward was so fascinated by me.

"It is, actually. But I suppose I could pick up a new language. Swahili has always seemed interesting… or maybe Vietnamese."

I couldn't help smiling at this. Only Edward could expect to learn to speak a new language fluently in two months. I lifted my face from his chest and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Edward replied. He didn't look particularly happy, but at least he had agreed to our new arrangement. As for the rest of my plan… I decided that I would figure the other details later.

"So, what are we going to do today? We have the whole house to ourselves, by the way. Charlie's gone for the entire weekend. We're all alone," I hinted unsubtly. If we couldn't be together at night, maybe I could convince Edward to take a few liberties during the daylight hours.

"Hmmm…" Edward seemed to consider my words. My heart raced as he gently put his hand on the back of my head and drew me toward him. His smooth hand ran down my thigh. Just before our lips touched, though, he turned his mouth toward my ear and whispered, "Not going to happen, Bella."

My breath came out in an angry huff. "That was just plain mean!"

Edward was stifling laughter. "I know, but really, love, it's just as cruel when you tempt me like that. I don't think you understand how hard it is for me to say "no" over and over again. Please try to remember that I am a seventeen-year-old male."

When the only reply he got was a reproachful glare, he continued, "At any rate, you have a full schedule today. Or did you forget about your shopping trip with Alice?"

*******

I had forgotten about my plans with Alice. Or maybe I had blocked the unpleasant prospect from my mind. Alice was having my wedding dress custom-made, but apparently I still needed to shop for the accessories. I had tried convincing Alice that she should just pick everything out herself, but she insisted that I come along. She had suddenly decided that I needed to be involved in the wedding process. And when Alice decides something, she is immovable.

We spent hours and hours and _hours_ in every wedding dress shop in Seattle. I tried on veils, shoes, tiaras, garters, and a few other things that I couldn't even name. When Alice couldn't decide on something, she just bought all of the possibilities. I didn't actually get to make any decisions. Apparently, my involvement was restricted to playing dress up. After an excruciatingly dull trip to a store devoted to panty hose, Alice finally dropped me off at home.

I struggled to keep my balance as I carried a few thousand shopping bags up the stairs to my room. Alice had sent me home with seven different wedding veils and nine pairs of white satin shoes. She wasn't sure which ones she preferred yet, but she wanted me to practice walking in heels while wearing a veil. That actually didn't sound like a bad idea. I could easily imagine myself stumbling down the aisle in my heels because I couldn't see through my veil. Not exactly the entrance I hoped for.

As soon as I walked through my bedroom door, I heaved the shopping bags onto the bed. Alice probably wouldn't be happy if I wrinkled the veils, but I was too worn out to hang them up neatly. I collapsed facedown onto the bags. I grunted in pain when my forehead landed on a shoebox. Great. Now I would have a lovely purple bruise.

I got up to check out the damage in the mirror above my dresser. While I was scrupulously checking my forehead for any signs of bruising, a piece of tulle caught my attention in the mirror's reflection. I reached into one of the bags on my bed and withdrew a gauzy white veil. Turning back to the mirror, I carefully settled the veil over my hair. I stared at my own reflection with wide eyes. I felt like a little girl playing dress-up. I snatched the veil from my head and tried on a second one. It was so strange to see myself dressed as a bride. I closed my eyes to banish the unsettling image.

I felt a slight breeze blow in from the open window. I felt the thin veil flutter in the puff of air. I was still trying to convince myself to open my eyes when a quiet voice spoke over my shoulder.

"I liked the first one better."

A quiet whimper escaped my lips. I had hoped to have a few more nights before James returned. Opening my eyes, I saw James reflected in the mirror. He was standing behind me, looking over my right shoulder. His head was tilted to the side as he studied my reflection. He was much too close for comfort. I shivered slightly as I felt the cool air that surrounded his body.

"I, um, I thought it was too long, maybe," I said nervously. I couldn't think of anything else to say. I could feel my heart beating erratically. I hated that James could hear it, too. I didn't want him to know how much I feared him.

"Maybe," he agreed, smiling indulgently. "But you won't need it, anyway." He plucked the veil from my head and tossed it carelessly on the bed.

"Hey! You'll wrinkle it!" I protested, forgetting that minutes before I had been equally unconcerned about the veils' condition. I picked up the veil and smoothed out the creases before laying it over my desk chair. When I turned around to face James, he was standing a few feet away, examining my books. I felt a protective urge to tell him to get away from my things, but I stifled the impulse. As long as he was across the room, I should be happy.

I grabbed the book of matches from my dresser. I struck a match on my jeans and lit the striped candle. Suddenly, I felt James' unyielding body pressed up behind mine.

"Trying to set the mood?" he asked, running his fingers lightly up and down my arms. I rammed my elbows back into his stomach and twisted away from him.

"Yeah right!" I exclaimed. I rubbed my throbbing elbows. It felt like I had slammed them into a rock. "It turns out that you stink like a campfire. I'm hoping the candle will drown out the smell. Or at least explain it."

"You're a little crabby tonight," James observed. He leaned against my dresser and absentmindedly waved his fingers through the candle's flickering flame. "Are all of the wedding preparations getting a bit tedious? It must be annoying as hell to make all these plans for a wedding that you know won't happen."

"It is going to happen. And I happen to love all of this wedding stuff," I lied through gritted teeth. He didn't have to know how much I hated shopping with Alice.

James' lips spread into a mocking smile. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say. You are a terrible liar, by the way. You'll need to work on that if you don't want to spoil my game. I'm impressed that you managed to keep Edward away for the night. How'd you do that?"

"It doesn't matter how I did it. You got what you wanted, didn't you?" I really did not want to discuss Edward with James. I actually didn't want to discuss anything with James, but that wasn't a viable option right now. I was curious about something, though. "Weren't you worried that Edward might still be here? He'll hear your thoughts if you get too close. How did you know that Edward wasn't around tonight?"

James waved his hand dismissively at my question, "He thinks I'm dead. As long as I make an effort not to think about you too much, he'll tune me out. Do you honestly think he pays attention to the thousands of voices running through his mind? And I trusted that you would get him to get rid of him quickly. I remembered how quickly you followed my instructions in Phoenix."

The idea that James had to put effort into not thinking about me sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't want him thinking about me, whether he saw me as a meal or as a mate. He was still playing with the small flame. His eyes were completely focused on the gold light. My gaze traveled from his fingers, up his bare arms and across his chest. He was not nearly as muscled as Emmett. No one was, after all. But he was more heavily built than Edward. More like Jasper. I glanced up at his face and blushed furiously when I realized that he was now looking at me with an arrogant smirk.

"Get a close enough look?" He took a couple steps toward me.

I backed away quickly, stepping into the open doorway behind me. I cursed my red cheeks and tried to sound harsh when I replied. "Don't flatter yourself. I prefer men who are whole and not scorched."

James let out an incredulous laugh. "That was your big insult? You'll need to work harder if you want to hurt my feelings." He briefly examined the hand with missing fingers. A smudge of dirt on his forearm drew his attention. He frowned as he tried to rub it away. "You don't mind if I borrow your shower, do you? "

"Vampires take showers?" His question confused me. I suppose I had never put much thought into the idea. The Cullens were always perfectly immaculate in their appearance. For some reason, I thought they never got dirty. Looking down at James' body once more, I noticed that he actually had several muddy splotches covering him.

"When they've been living outside, they do." Without waiting for any further reply, James began unbuttoning his jeans as he strolled past me into the hallway. "Grab a towel for me," he called over his shoulder. He started to pull down his jeans just before he shut the door.

I was still staring at the bathroom door a few seconds later when it cracked open and a pair of jeans hit me in the face. "And can you toss those in the wash? Thanks." The water turned on in the shower a moment later. What was I, his maidservant? I angrily grabbed the jeans off of the floor and stomped down the stairs.

I yanked open the lid to the washing machine and tossed the jeans in along with plenty of detergent. The jeans were really caked with mud. I slammed the lid shut and twisted the dial to start the cycle. Then I sat on the floor, pulled my knees up to my chest and cried. I really hated my irritating habit of weeping when I was angry. But at least I wasn't scared of James anymore. Nope, just aggravated and irate.

I had just shoved his jeans in the dryer when I heard the shower turn off upstairs and reluctantly headed back up the stairs. Noticing that James wasn't in the bathroom anymore, I walked into my bedroom. James was rummaging through my shoebox of CDs. Naked. I fled back out of the room and slammed the door shut behind me. "Sorry! I, uh, didn't know… Um, sorry!" I stammered. I could feel the blood rushing to my face.

The door behind me opened. "You forgot my towel," an amused voice explained.

"Oh, um, let me get that." Squeezing my eyes shut, I fumbled my way to the hall closet and pulled out a towel. I inched in James direction holding the towel out in front of me. "H-here you go." Before I felt him grab the towel from me, I stumbled and fell forward. My eyes flew open as strong arms grabbed me and pulled me upright. James smiled down at me, his head cocked to the side.

"Thanks, babe," he said, grabbing the towel and wrapping it around his waist.

"No problem," I squeaked. "I'm gonna check on your jeans."

James seized my hand before I could turn to the stairs. "Don't worry about it, they won't be ready yet. Let's sit down and relax for a while." He led me back into my bedroom and shut the door.

******

A/N: Has anyone noticed else noticed how often characters in Twilight say "Sure, sure"? Especially Jacob.

Rebwilla: I agree with you. Bella did go a little nutty in the previous chapter. In the books, it seemed to me like she was always teetering right on the edge of insanity. Although really, she'll have to be a bit crazy if I'm gonna make her develop any kind of feelings for James. He's a psycho killer, after all, even if he is so very attractive.


	6. Bonding

Disclaimer: Twilight and any Twilight characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: I made a few changes to the previous chapter. I mostly just corrected grammatical errors, but I also had Bella move James' jeans to the dryer so she wouldn't have to take the time to do that in this chapter.

**Chapter 5: Bonding**

With my face still burning, I followed James into my room and sat on the corner of my bed. I picked up the veil that James had discarded earlier and twisted it nervously in my hands. I expected him to sit down next to me, but instead he wandered over to my CD collection. I stared fixedly down at my hands and concentrated on slowing my thudding heart. I fruitlessly tried to erase the memory of James' body from my mind.

"Let's see what you have to listen to," said James as he began to dig through my shoebox of CDs. "Hmm… crap, crap, don't know, decent, crap… do you honestly listen to this junk?" he asked.

I answered without looking up. "Most of them. I threw out all of my CDs last year when Edward left. He picked out some new ones for me when he came back. There are just a few I don't like."

After another minute of searching, I heard James chuckle. "Please tell me this is one that you don't like." I peeked up to see what he was holding. My face promptly reddened again when I caught sight of James' bare chest. He was holding a Britney Spears CD in his hand. Jessica had left it at my house last summer and out of respect for other people's property, I hadn't destroyed it with the rest of my music.

"It belongs to a friend. She forgot it." I dropped the veil on the ground and stood up to retrieve the CD, but as I reached for it, James quickly took a step back. I glanced at his face and was alarmed to see that his expression had become murderous. His jaw was clenched tightly and his irises had become inky black. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out. He turned to the window, thrust it open and leaned outside. I heard him take a deep breath before he brought his head back inside and turned around. His face softened to his usual expression of curiosity and amusement. I stared at him in bewilderment as his eyes faded slowly back to crimson.

"It would be much easier for me if you would stop blushing," he stated politely. I waited for further elaboration, but instead of explaining, James resumed his search for listening material.

"What the heck!" I blurted out in frustration. "Two seconds ago you looked like you wanted to rip my throat out."

James slowly turned to face me again. He leaned back against the desk and folded his arms across his chest. I forced my eyes to stay focused on his face. "Like I said, it would be easier if you would stop blushing. When your blood is so… evident, it's harder for me to stay in control," he explained. His eyes wandered down from my face to my neck.

"And the window…" I prompted, trying to ignore his fascination with veins in my neck.

"Just needed some fresh air. I stopped breathing when we came back in here," said James. His eyes locked onto mine as he continued, "You smell so good. I thought that would be the best way to avoid hurting you. But I ran out of air and couldn't talk anymore. And I wanted to keep talking to you. I'll just have to control myself."

"Oh. Well, thanks. I guess. You know, for trying not to kill me." I didn't really know how to respond to James' explanation. I was grateful, of course, that he was making an effort to keep me alive. But James was not actually concerned about my safety. He just wanted to make sure that I didn't die before he got his revenge on Edward.

James smirked and sauntered toward me. "No problem, babe. Now, tell me. Are you really that embarrassed about seeing me? I'm not the first guy you've seen naked, am I?" He was standing directly in front of me now. I froze as he began to softly stroke my hair. His icy fingers ran from the top of my head to the very tips of my hair. He carefully twined a dark strand around his pale fingers.

Avoiding his gaze, I stammered out a clumsy response. "Um, y-yeah. I m-mean, no, I've never… um… you know."

James cocked his head to the side, looking at me curiously. "Really? Now that's interesting," he murmured thoughtfully. He dropped his hand from my hair and glanced around the room. He reached down to grab an old gray t-shirt off the floor.

"Do you mind?" he asked, gesturing to himself with the shirt. I shook my head as he pulled it over his head. The shirt, which hung off of me like a tent, fit him perfectly. I noticed that every one of his muscles was visible through the worn material. But it was still an improvement. He looked questioningly at me. "Better?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you." I could feel my pulse slowly regaining a normal rhythm. It made me uneasy that James had been able to make my heart pound. Edward was the only one who had ever had that effect on me. I chalked it up to a combination of shock and fear. Nothing else.

James walked around me and, after dumping my shopping bags on the floor, sat on the bed, reclining against the headboard. "I give up on the music. I don't know most of the bands in your collection. Why don't you sit down?" he suggested, gesturing to the end of the bed.

I pulled my desk chair as far away from James as I could before sitting down on it. "You don't know those bands?" I asked. "That's weird. They're all pretty popular." Edward had tried to buy music that I would recognize when he replaced my collection.

James shrugged. "We never listened to music much," he explained. As he spoke, he pushed himself off the bed and walked toward me. He bent down and lifted me off the chair, cradling me in his arms. I shrieked and clawed at James' face, but with no effect. Without paying the slightest attention to my protests, he walked back across the room and dropped me at the bottom of the bed. He sat back down against the headboard and resumed speaking. "It really wasn't practical to carry around a stereo while we hunted."

I hastily scrambled off the bed and cowered in the corner. I suddenly realized that he could literally force me to do whatever he wanted. A memory of the ballet studio flashed through my mind. A tremor of fear ran through my body and my mouth suddenly went dry. "Don't touch me," I whispered hoarsely.

A look of surprise crossed James's face. "I won't hurt you," he murmured softly. "It would ruin the evening. I just wanted to talk and you were too far away. Please come sit down."

Although his voice usually set off the panic button in my head, his soft, soothing tone reassured me. I studied his expression. He seemed entirely sincere. Hesitantly, I inched back toward the bed. I warily sat cross-legged on the corner of the bed. "You won't touch me?" I asked, "You just want to talk?"

"Just talk," James reassured me. He smiled and made a show of crossing his arms behind his back. I took a deep breath. If he was willing to try to put me at ease, I could try to make small talk. Anything to make this night end faster.

"So, do you have any hobbies or anything?" I asked awkwardly. I stared down at my hands rather than at James. Unfortunately, I had never been great at small talk. Optimistically, I considered the possibility that James would decide that I was way too boring to make a good companion and would abandon his plan.

"Tracking," James answered. I looked at him expectantly, but he did not elaborate. He just watched me with a faint smile on his face. I really couldn't imagine what he did for entertainment. I thought of the Cullens… fixing cars, playing piano, redecorating, and cheating at chess games. I couldn't imagine James taking part in that kind of life.

"You can't track all the time. What did you used to do for fun?" I persisted.

"Victoria." James flashed a wicked grin and winked at me.

"Ew!" I shrieked. "Could you be any more vulgar?"

"Well, I could certainly try…" James said, tilting his head to the side in concentration.

"No, no. That's okay. Please don't," I protested quickly. I hid my face in my hands. I didn't want the blood rushing to my face to become a problem again.

"You were the one who asked," James smirked. "But I suppose that every once in a while we did get around to doing other things."

"Like what?" I asked, hoping that he would stick to G-rated activities. I peaked at him between my fingers.

"Anything Victoria wanted. If she wanted to go to a movie, we went. If she wanted to dance, we danced. If she was in the mood for a book, I read to her." Although James was still staring in my general direction, his eyes were unfocused. I felt a twinge of irritation when I realized that he had momentarily forgotten about me.

"Didn't she ever care about what you wanted to do?" I asked peevishly, dropping my hands. I didn't care whether or not James thought of me. I just didn't think anyone should waste time thinking about sadistic red-headed vampires.

James blinked and his eyes came back into focus. He frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Of course she did. When I was tracking, she was committed to helping me find my prey." With a movement too quick for my human eyes to see, he was suddenly standing in front of me. He grabbed my arms and lifted me to my feet. He leaned down and whispered softly in my ear, "You remember, don't you? She was so useful when I was trying to find you."

"I remember," I replied, jerking my head away from him. His breath was just as sweet as Edward's, but slightly masked by a smoky scent. It made me dizzy to be so near to him. My eyes widened as he pulled me closer to him.

"She would have done anything for me," he whispered. His icy lips brushed my ear as he spoke. "Will you? When you love me, will you do anything for me, Bella?" His arms wrapped around me. One hand buried itself in my hair. I stopped breathing. My heart was pounding. My lips tingled.

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Even James jumped a little at the sound of the dryer timer. His arms relaxed and dropped to his sides. I tried to take a step backward, but tripped over the corner of the bed and fell to the floor. As I scrambled to my feet, I jabbered, "Um, yeah. So I b-better go get that. Don't want your jeans to wrinkle, right? Okay, be right back!"

I ran clumsily down the stairs and into the laundry room, slamming the door behind me. What in the world had just happened? I struggled to understand my reaction. The heart pounding must have been fear, right? _Wrong, wrong, wrong,_ I thought. I hadn't been afraid of James at that moment. Had I been actually been excited that James was holding me? I shuddered. Edward had told me that vampires are the perfect predator. They don't have to chase their prey. They can wait for their prey to come to them. I had always believed that I was immune to the allure of any vampire but Edward. I realized my mistake now. No other vampire had ever tried to attract me. And attracting me was James' newest hobby.

I pulled the jeans out of the dryer. They were still a little damp, but James could just deal with that. I wanted him out of my house _now_. I had no doubt that I could resist James' efforts. _I just need time to focus_, I thought as I walked back into my room. James was standing nonchalantly by the window.

"Here," I said, throwing the jeans in James' direction. They missed him by a couple feet, of course, but he caught them before they hit the floor. "Your jeans are done. It's late. Get out."

"Why so rude? A few minutes ago, you seemed so much more… cooperative," James drawled as he pulled his jeans on under his towel and fastened them.

"Get out, please. Better?" I said irritably. James smiled crookedly and unwrapped the towel from his waist. I stared incredulously as he neatly folded the ratty towel and placed it on the desk. "Oh, gee, thanks for folding a used towel," I grumbled. "Maybe next time you can show the same consideration for my wedding veil?"

James cocked his head to the side and grinned lazily at me. "You'll probably use this towel again sometime, but I don't see you ever using that veil," he murmured, glancing down at the crumpled pile of tulle lying at my feet. "And it doesn't look like you were that concerned about it either."

"Unless your name is Alice, I really don't care what you see in my future. I am marrying Edward in two months," I replied angrily. I knelt down to pick up the veil. I was happy to see that that despite a few creases, it hadn't suffered any permanent damage. I looked up from the veil to see James kneeling next to me.

"I lost you once," he murmured. He pushed aside a piece of hair that had fallen in my eyes. "I will not lose you again. I will win. I promise."

"I don't want your promise," I answered coldly. "I want you to leave."

"Do you really?" James asked, raising one eyebrow. He stood up slowly, pulling me with him. He leaned so close to me that his lips were nearly touching mine. "I don't believe you."

Inside my head, bells were clanging, alarms were sounding and emergency lights were flashing. Regrettably, my body was not responding to any of my internal distress signals. I couldn't make myself pull away from him. But I had no intention of inviting him to stay longer. "Leave," I whispered. After what felt like an eternity, James finally stepped back. I was surprised to notice that his eyes had once again turned black. How long had he been fighting his thirst for my blood? I couldn't believe that I had allowed myself to be distracted from the obvious danger in front of me.

"Good night, Bella," James said quietly. "I'll see you soon." He turned, blew out the candle, and climbed through the open window. As soon as he was out of sight, slammed the window shut, making sure to fasten the locks. I grabbed the comforter and pillow from my bed and dragged them down to the couch. I wanted to be far, far away from this night's insane experience.

**********************************

A/N: I am so, so sorry for the long wait. I got crazy busy with school and life in general and just didn't have time to finish earlier. I promise to finish this story! Just to warn you, it will probably be another long wait for the next update. I have to decide between two endings for the story before I can write the next chapter. Also, I'm going to change my story summary the next time I update. I think it's a little too vague right now.


	7. Conflicted

A/N: Once again, I'm sorry that it took me so long to update. Who knew that such a short chapter could be so hard to write?

Chapter 6: Conflicted

James' POV

A pair of pale blue eyes stared blankly up at me as I shoveled wet dirt into the hole. I enjoyed the sound of each clump of soil as it made impact. A soft _thwump_. I worked steadily and slowly. No need to rush. There was no one nearby to interrupt me.

When the body was covered, I dropped the shovel in the hole and knelt to finish the job by hand. Dirt caked under my nails as I worked. It did not take long before the ground was level again. As I scattered leaves and debris over the area, I could not help but admire the Cullens' self control. If I was willing to discipline myself to a diet of animal blood, I would not have to go to such measures to hide the remains of my meals.

Concealing ourselves from humans was simple. Just a matter of making a corpse look like an animal mauling or a random act of violence. As long as you keep moving, no one suspected the truth. But hiding my existence from other vampires… that was a challenge. They knew the signs to look for. They knew how very few true random acts of violence there were.

Ultimately, I decided against the unsatisfying diet of animal blood. It wasn't worth the risk. I need Bella to remain alive and well. For now. My last encounter with her showed me how difficult it is to resist the lure of her blood. I tasted it once. Now, I craved it. Attempting to live off of animal blood would just increase the temptation.

And so, I travelled far and hunted carefully to prevent detection by the Cullens. Searching for the perfect prey gave me a brief throb of gratification. I do love the hunt. My victim was a solitary hitchhiker, stranded on an empty road on the eastern edge of California. No one will know she is missing. No one will find her.

Casting one last glance around the area to ensure that any evidence has been erased, I used my borrowed shirt to wipe any remaining filth from my hands. I turned north and began the journey back to Forks. I left Bella a week ago. It annoyed me to be gone for so long, but clear skies and the search for food had delayed me. Today, clouds once again hung heavy in the sky and I was able to travel freely. I would be in Forks by nightfall.

As I ran, I evaluated the situation with Bella. My emotions, judgment, and nature were in endless conflict when it came to that girl. Always, there was the insatiable thirst for her blood. I had barely managed to restrain myself during my previous visits to her house. The sweet scent of her thick blood sent flames shooting down my throat. Even the inferno that had nearly destroyed me had not caused such pain.

When I was able to disregard the thirst clawing at my throat, I could consider Bella more objectively. I was confident in my choice of a new mate. I did not suffer under the delusion that I loved or even cared for Bella. No, I still saw her as just another frail human. She was, however, an intriguing investment for the future. Bella will become an astonishingly powerful companion once she is turned. Her ability to block mental attacks is impressive, especially considering her pitiable human state. More importantly, she is able to escape when necessary and follows instructions. She evaded her watch dogs in Phoenix with much more ease than I had anticipated. Now, she has even managed to escape from Edward's watchful gaze. As a vampire, she will be useful.

If I only I were always able to remain impartial. To always view Bella with unbiased deliberation. But there were times that my careful detachment gave way to deeper emotions. Times that I felt the fury and rage come crashing through to the surface. Times that Victoria's face rose before me and all I could think was that Bella was the reason that my love was torn to pieces and scorched. And then all I could think was how much I wanted to grab Bella's head and rip it from her weak, pathetic neck. There was no blood lust in these times. I did not want Bella's blood. I wanted her pain. I wanted her screams. I wanted to tear her skin away from her weak body. I wanted to crush her bones and hear each one crack. I wanted to see the terror and anguish of death in her eyes. I wanted to break her body so completely that even Edward would not be able to recognize her.

I stopped running and braced myself against a tree. The rough bark disintegrated beneath my fingers. I needed to regain control before I continued. I could not give way to my instinct or my inclination. Bella must live. I had made a bargain that I could not break. A bargain that I did not want to break. I knew myself. Given enough time, I would overcome my aversion to Bella. I may even grow fond of her. Perhaps.

I began running again. I needed to get back to Forks as soon as possible. I knew that my time was running out. I could not hide from the Cullens forever.

***********************

A/N: I'm sorry to anyone that thought that James was already head over heals in love with Bella. That just didn't seem realistic to his character. There's always hope for the future, though!


	8. Suspicion

Disclaimer: Twilight and any Twilight characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 7: Suspicion**

I mindlessly flipped through the hundreds of channels available on the Cullens' television. I wasn't actually looking for something to watch. The images on the screen passed as colorful blurs. I was so tired that my eyes actually hurt. Forcing them to focus on the screen would have taken too much effort. I just needed to pass the time.

That was all I had done lately. Find ways to pass the time. The first couple of nights that James had stayed away, I had been nothing but relieved. But as the days passed and James still did not appear, I had become increasingly anxious. I hadn't been able to sleep well for days. The smallest sounds woke me. I constantly expected James to appear at my bedroom window.

The possible reasons for his absence had been playing on repeat in my mind for the last week. He had changed his plans and was now plotting ways to destroy Edward. He had decided to eliminate any additional competition by tracking and killing Jacob. He was creating a new army of newborns so that he could take on the entire Cullen family. He had completely lost interest in the idea of me as a mate and moved on. He had angered the Volturi in some way and been executed. Or maybe he was intentionally trying to drive me insane by the constant anticipation and dread.

Personally, I thought that the last possibility was the most likely.

I flopped facedown on the couch and groaned into the soft cushion. If the lost of my sanity was in fact James's goal, he just may have accomplished it.

"Bella?"

When I felt the icy hand lightly grasp my shoulder, I instinctively gasped and jerked away, falling off the couch in the process.

"Bella? Are you all right, sweetie?"

I looked up to see Esme peering at me from behind the couch. A concerned expression marred her otherwise flawless features.

"Oh, yeah! I'm fine," I answered in what I hoped was a cheerful tone. "You just surprised me. I didn't know anyone was home yet."

"I just walked in," Esme replied as she walked around the couch and helped me to my feet. For the most part, the Cullens have accepted and ceased commenting on my total lack of grace. Except Emmett, of course.

I glanced around the room before asking, "Where's Carlisle? Didn't he come back with you?"

Esme sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. I sat down next to her as she replied, "Yes, but you know Carlisle. He wanted to stop in at the hospital to check on a few patients, so I just ran home ahead of him. He should be back soon. But where is everyone else?"

"Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett are out looking at cars in Port Angeles. My truck finally died and Edward convinced me to let him buy me a new one. I agreed, but only if I didn't have to help find it. And Alice dragged Jasper shopping. She said something about a once-in-a-lifetime sale. How was your trip? Did you two have fun?"

"Yes, it was nice to get away for a while. No matter how old your children are, sometimes you need a break from them," Esme smiled, but I could still see concern in her eyes. "I'm glad we have the house to ourselves for a little while, Bella. We haven't had much time for talking lately, have we?"

"Not with all of Alice's wedding planning!" I answered jovially. The truth was that I had avoided any serious conversation with the Cullens. I couldn't trust myself to not let something slip. It was better to keep the conversation light.

"Please don't think that I'm trying to intrude on your privacy, but I can't help notice that something is worrying you," Esme said gently. "I've never seen you so anxious and restless. Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

I wanted nothing more than to tell Esme everything. She would hug me and tell me everything would be okay. It wouldn't be my responsibility anymore. Esme would tell Carlisle and the others and they would take care of it. They would make plans and go after James. And then they just might get killed.

I plastered a smile on my face. "Nothing's wrong, really. I think I'm just a little nervous about the wedding. I hate the thought of being the center of attention."

The worry lines did not leave Esme's forehead. "All right. But if you do need to talk about anything, you know that you can always come to me. You mean just as much to me now as Edward does. There isn't anything you can't tell me."

I nodded quickly. A lump in my throat made it impossible to speak. I was saved from attempting further conversation by the sound of a car pulling up to the house.

"That must be Carlisle," said Esme. Any trace of worry in her face was replaced by an expression of delight. I loved seeing how much she and Carlisle cared for each other. I didn't have memories of Charlie and Renee parents as a happy couple.

It wasn't long before everyone else got home. Emmett and Edward were clearly in on some joke that involved me. They cracked up laughing when I asked about the results of the search for my new car and refused to tell me why. I even caught Rosalie hiding a smile a couple times. Alice strolled in the house empty handed, Jasper trailing behind her, loaded down with bags of clothing.

We spent the rest of the evening playing board games while I ate the dinner that Edward had thoughtfully picked up for me. It was a perfect evening, until I realized that it was getting late and I needed to get home.

"You don't have to go all the way home tonight. Spend the night here," Alice urged when I stood to leave. "I know it would make Edward happy."

"Not to mention the rest of us," Emmett commented. "He's been moping around and blaring crappy music until the wee hours of the morning since you kicked him out of the bedroom."

"Emmett!" Esme and Rosalie shouted in unison. Alice and Jasper seemed torn between amusement and pity. Edward avoided looking in my direction. He actually looked a little embarrassed. At least he didn't have to worry about blushing. I could feel my own face burning from a combination of embarrassment and irritation. I didn't know that the Cullens were aware of our nighttime arrangement. I had assumed that Edward was keeping that quiet.

"I'm just saying…" Emmett protested.

"Well, don't!" Rosalie retorted. "Come on. Let's go you come up with more stupid comments."

As Rosalie led Emmett from the room, Carlisle stood and said to the others, "I think we should all give Edward and Bella a chance to say goodnight."

I waited until the room was cleared before speaking. "You didn't have to tell them," I said matter-of-factly.

Edward stopped avoiding my gaze and looked me square in the eyes. "I wasn't aware that you didn't want me to. Did you think they wouldn't notice me hanging around the house every night?"

"Of course not," I answered irritably. To be honest, I actually hadn't thought much about the Cullens' reaction to our new arrangement. "I just wish that you weren't making such a big deal about it."

"What did you expect, Bella?" Edward replied. "I agreed because I know it's what you want right now, but please don't expect me to be happy about it."

"Believe me, I'm aware that you're not happy about it," I said. I grabbed Edward's car keys from the coffee table. "If you don't mind, I'll drive myself home. I'll bring your car back in the morning."

Edward's eyes flashed angrily. "You won't even let me drive you home? What did I do wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," I said through gritted teeth. "I just want to be alone! See you tomorrow."

I resisted the urge to slam the front door behind me. Walking out to Edward's car, I asked myself why I was so angry with Edward. He really hadn't done anything, but I couldn't help feeling annoyed with him. Why couldn't he just pretend to be okay with staying away? It made dealing with James seem that much more difficult if Edward was upset with me. I hated making him unhappy.

Maybe it was just PMS. Ick. I always felt awkward around Edward during that time of the month. But he'd never mentioned it being a problem, and I am certainly never going to bring it up. I put the car into reverse and pressed on the gas. A loud screeching sound reminded me to take off the emergency break. I spent the drive home praying that James would not return tonight.

* * *

**Alice's POV**

I watched Bella pull onto the road. After a few moments, I couldn't see her anymore from the window where I stood. I sighed as I felt Jasper wrap his arms around me from behind. He rested his chin on my head as he murmured, "Something is wrong with Bella. For the last week, she has felt nothing but fear and anxiety."

"Does Edward know?" I asked softly.

"I've tried to keep it from him, but who knows how well that works," Jasper answered.

I turned in Jasper's arms to face him. "My visions are changing," I whispered. Jasper looked startled.

"How? What's changed?"

"I don't know exactly. I can't always see Bella clearly anymore," I spoke even more softly, fearing that Edward would hear me. "It's almost like when she's with the wolves."

Jasper looked over my head out the window. "Do you think that she's having second thoughts about marrying Edward? Is she going to choose Jacob?"

"No. Maybe. I don't know," I said, burying my head against Jasper's chest. "I still see the wedding day. But I don't see Bella."

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for all the positive reviews! I really appreciate them. I had fun writing the last chapter about James, but it was hard! I had to listen to angry music on repeat and keep rewriting to get it right. Thank you to MuscalFox for pointing out the "fiance/fiancee" error. That should be corrected now. Really, if anyone else notices any other errors like that, please let me know so I can fix them. I will definitely finish this story, but it may take a while. In case you haven't noticed, I update very slowly.


	9. Stranded

Disclaimer: Twilight and the Twilight characters are property of Stephenie Meyers.

**Chapter 9: Stranded**

"Crap, crap, crap!" I shouted angrily as rain began streaming down the windshield of Edward's car. As if it wasn't bad enough to be driving someone else's car at night through curvy roads in a bad mood. While I tried to keep my eyes on what I could see of the road, I fumbled around with the car's switches until I managed to turn on the wipers. Why hadn't I just let Edward drive me home? Why did Edward have to irritate me so much tonight? Why wasn't James still dead so that I wouldn't be having any of these stupid problems to begin with?

With that thought, I resumed my fervent prayers that James was not waiting for me at home. I just wanted to crawl into bed and try to get a few hours of sleep. Maybe if I could actually get some rest, I could get rid of this horrible, gnawing resentment that I was feeling toward Edward. This was the first time in our relationship that I could remember feeling like this. Edward was perfect. I must be wrong.

Unfortunately, my efforts to calm down only enraged me further. Was this how it would always be? Always wrong. Always trying to live up to Edward's perfection? I knew that I would never accomplish that. I would always try to be– "Crap!"

The car had lost traction as I was rounding a sharp curve in the road. Was I supposed hit the breaks? Pump the breaks? Shift into neutral? Before my panicked brain was able to come up with a response, the Volvo had spun completely off the road. I squeezed my eyes shut, slammed on the breaks, and prayed I didn't hit a tree. I felt my body jerk violently against the seat belt as the car made impact. My head slammed painfully into the window next to me. I gave myself a few seconds to quiet my gasping breaths, then lifted my head and opened my eyes. The engine was making some strange sputtering sounds. That wasn't a good sign. Although I doubted that the car was going anywhere, I put it in park and turned it off.

With the rain pouring down around the car, it was hard to tell where exactly I had ended up. All I could see in front of the headlights were trees. Specifically one large tree that seemed to have caused some definite damage to the front of the car. I pulled off my seatbelt and twisted around in my seat to try to find the road. I couldn't see it, but I assumed it had to be there somewhere. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and punched in Edward's number. No signal. I stretched my arm up and waved it around, trying unsuccessfully to find a signal. Even though I really did not want to get out in the pouring rain, that was apparently my only option. I turned on the car's flashers, shoved the phone back in my pocket, and, after just a little whimper of complaint, pushed my door open.

I was drenched within three seconds of exiting the car. I cursed the never-ending rain for about the thousandth time since I'd moved to Forks. Squinting through the rain, I could see that the road was up a small incline behind the car. Trying my best to shield my face from the rain, I scrambled up the muddy hill. When I reached the road, I was dismayed to see that my phone still didn't get a signal.

Although I was tempted to go back to the car, where it was at least dry, I realized that I couldn't be that far from town. I just had to get to the nearest pay phone and call Edward to pick me up. I mentally cringed when I thought of the condition in which he would find his car. He really liked that car. I sighed and started the walk towards town.

Within five minutes, I was fervently wishing that I had a jacket with me. The rain had soaked through my t-shirt and jeans. Ten minutes later, I told myself that I was going to start wearing rain boots every day. My socks were wet and slimy inside my shoes, which made squishing sounds with each step. When the rain finally let up after ten more miserable minutes, I had almost decided that becoming a vampire was not for me if it meant living in wet climates for the rest of my existence. I was so happy when the rain stopped that tears of joy actually ran down my cheeks.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I cried gleefully.

"Your welcome," a voice answered smoothly. I spun around to see James standing a few yards behind me. He was just as soaked through as I was, but while I was sure that I looked like wreck, he looked… Well, he didn't look like a wreck.

"Why are you walking alone down a dark road in the rain, Bella?" James asked, cocking his head to the side curiously. A slow smile crept up his lips as he sauntered toward me. "Don't you know there are dangerous people around?"

I was too irritated by the night's events to be frightened by James' appearance. At any other time, I would have been terrified to run into James at night, in the middle of nowhere. But right now, I just wanted to get home to my warm bed. I gritted my teeth together as I answered tersely, "Thank you for your concern. If you don't mind, I'm busy right now." I turned and walked resolutely forward. I refused to turn to look at James when he began to walk beside me.

"It's too bad about Edward's car. I hope he isn't too angry with you. Those Cullens do seem to like their toys," James said casually.

That got my attention. I whipped my head around to stare at him in disbelief. "Did you see me run off the road?" I screeched. "And you've just been watching me trudge through the rain for the last half hour?"

James shrugged. "I wanted to see what you would put up with. It won't do me any good to have a companion who can't handle a little bit of rain. Unlike the Cullens, I spend most of my time outdoors."

"You incredible jerk!" I shouted. "You could have pushed my car out of the ditch, at least. Or gone to town and called me a tow truck."

"Haven't you heard, babe? Adversity builds character, or something like that."

My hand itched to slap him across the face, but I realized that would only cause me pain. Instead, I tried to focus on getting home. "Do you at least know how much further it is to town?"

"Oh, it will take you a while longer. You missed a turn about 20 minutes ago," James said, jerking his head in the direction I had just come fun.

"Are you kidding me? Please tell me that was a horrible joke," I pleaded desperately.

"Nope," James replied, his face breaking out into a full grin. "Not a joke. We'll have to work on your sense of direction." He reached out to stroke a strand of my hair. His smile slowly faded. "I don't want to lose you." I ripped my hair from his grasp. He let his hand drop to his side. "I'll make you a deal, Bella. I will run you back home tonight, if you will come out with me tomorrow."

"And go where?" I asked hesitantly. I couldn't believe that I was considering his offer, but what choice did I have? We both knew that he could make me go anywhere he wanted. And I really, _really_ wanted to get into dry clothes.

"No questions. Yes or no," he demanded. When I still hesitated, he cracked a playful, and slightly goofy, smile. "I promise you'll have fun…"

An unintentional smile slipped onto my face. I clapped a hand over my mouth and stared wide-eyed at James, whose eyebrows had shot up in surprise. What was I thinking? I do not smile at James. When I felt my mouth relax into a serious expression, I lowered my hand. "Okay," I said frostily.

As soon as the word was out of my mouth, James swept me up and cradled me in his arms. I felt his mouth brush against the top of my head and felt his chest expand as he breathed in deeply. Then I couldn't feel anything except the cold rush of wind blowing past us as James ran. I kept my eyes closed. Even in the dark night, I knew that I would get sick if I looked up. In no time at all, James was coming to stop in front of my house. I opened my eyes as he lowered me carefully to the ground. I immediately took a giant step backward.

"Thank you," I said stiffly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

James smiled crookedly at me. "See you then," he replied. He turned and began walking away from the house. I had just walked up the front steps, when I heard him call my name.

"What?" I asked impatiently. I turned around to look at him, but I couldn't find him in the darkness.

"I think you might start to like me soon."

AN: Sorry for the long wait on this update. I haven't given up on this story. I promise, I'll finish it.


	10. Unwelcome

Disclaimer: Twilight and any Twilight characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Unwelcome**

_bzzzzzzz…bzzzzzzz…bzzzzzzz…._

My cell phone slid closer to the edge of my desk as it vibrated with an incoming call. I sat in my desk chair with my feet tucked under me, staring at Edward's picture on the phone's tiny screen without reaching to answer it. After James had dropped me off at home last night, I had sent Edward a brief text: _Car slid off road. Its still in ditch. Got home fine. Dont come over. Call u tomorrow_.

I was surprised that Edward had respected my request and not rushed over immediately. I was even more shocked that he hadn't appeared today considering I had been ignoring his calls all morning. After the first few, I had turned the ringer off. The high pitched melody only intensified the pounding in my head.

I needed to answer it. It wasn't fair to poor Edward. Reluctantly, I reached over to pick up the phone.

"Hey," I said.

"Bella!" Edward exhaled with relief. "Why haven't you been answering your phone? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

"I'm sorry," I answered automatically. "I slept in. It was a long night. Did you get your car home okay? Can you fix it?"

"I don't care about the car, love. I care about you. I'm sending Carlisle to check you for injuries. Can I… would it be alright if I came with him?"

"No!" I said quickly. "No, I mean, don't bother Carlisle. I'm not hurt at all."

"You know it's not a bother to him. But I'll do whatever you want, Bella. I'm so sorry that I let you drive home upset. I never should have let you go," Edward said ruefully.

"That's dumb," I snapped. "You didn't 'let' me go anywhere. I wanted to leave. I spun off the road because of the rain, not because I was upset."

"Bella, tell me how to fix this. I never want to make you unhappy. I truly don't understand what I've done." Edward's normally silky voice had taken on a nervous edge.

"Nothing," I said, closing my eyes. Why was I reacting so badly to Edward? He loved me. At this rate, I would drive him away before James ever had a chance to get further in his revenge plot. Ugh. Thinking about James reminded our impending 'date' tonight. "Edward, you didn't do anything at all. I just feel a little worn out. I'm going to take it easy today, sleep a little more. Can we hang out tomorrow? Maybe go to the meadow?"

There was a pause before Edward answered. "Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"Positive."

"Alright," he agreed hesitantly. "We'll go to the meadow. Will you call me when you wake up later, my love?"

"Yes, Edward. I will," I answered, grateful that he had acquiesced so quickly. "I love you."

"I will always love you," he said feelingly. "Sweet dreams, love."

I pushed the 'end' button and set my phone back down on the desk. How would I spend the day now? Truthfully, although my aching head made me wish I could pass out for the rest of the day, I had been unable to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. I couldn't get James out of my head.

Deciding to forfeit sleep for the mindless comfort of daytime cable, I hauled myself out of bed, dragging the purple comforter behind me. I took a detour in the kitchen to pour myself a bowl of cereal. I decided to forgo my usual multigrain choice and instead snagged Charlie's marshmallow filled box. With my brimming bowl of concentrated sugar in hand, I settled onto the couch and began to flip channels. I settled on the 24-hour soap opera network, sure to be full of murder, sex and general mayhem. It comforted me to watch other people, albeit fictional people, suffering from turmoil even more bizarre than I'd been experiencing lately.

I was engrossed in a particularly twisted love triangle involving fraternal twins separated at birth and a suspected serial killer/rodeo clown when I heard the sound of Charlie's keys at the front door. I managed to sit up and brush a few stray marshmallows off the couch before he walked into the room.

"Hey, Charlie. You're home early. Late lunch?" I asked as I clicked off the television.

Charlie looked at me dubiously. "It's 6 o'clock, Bella. Have you been on this couch all day?"

"No," I answered defensively. I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh. I guess I have."

"Are you sick, Bella? You don't look that good," Charlie commented, his forehead creasing in concern.

"Gee, thanks, Dad. That's just what every bride-to-be wants to hear," I groaned and leaned forward to examine my reflection in the television screen "I'm not sick. I just needed a day to de-stress."

Charlie shifted uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his neck. "Bella… you know that if the stress is too much… I mean, if you ever had, um, second thoughts… It's not too late."

I whipped my head around to face Charlie. "Not to late for what?" I asked suspiciously.

"You know, um, not to late for you to… um, cancel things," he said, avoiding my eyes. "The wedding."

"I thought you were happy for me," I said coldly. "I thought you had finally realized that this is what I want. Edward and I are permanent. He's not going anywhere. You said that you supported my choice."

"And I do support your choice, Bella. If you are happy, so am I," Charlie paused, clearing his throat before continuing. "But Bella, you've gotta understand… do you know what it's like for me to watch my eighteen year old daughter make a choice that is going to affect her entire life? I thought your mom and I were going to last forever, too. No one gets married thinking that it won't last. But we were young, and so are you and Edward."

"Not that young," I muttered under my breath. "So, what then? You don't think I should get married?"

"I didn't say that." Charlie's gaze finally focused on me. "I just want you to know that you still have options. I know that it probably doesn't feel like it to you right now. You're all wrapped up in wedding planning and flowers and dresses. It probably feels like it's a done deal. But it's not. You have a choice until the minister pronounces you husband and wife. And I'll support you whatever you choose. That's all I have to say."

I stared back at Charlie, trying to form a response. I felt anger and relief, all at the same time. The anger I could understand. How could he think that I'd want to back out? But the feeling of relief… that was harder to explain. In the pit of my stomach, I had felt something unclench as he spoke. Like some secret, unconscious weight had been lifted from me.

_Ding dong._

Both Charlie and I started at the unexpected sound of the doorbell. Charlie turned and walked to answer the door. Assuming it was Edward coming over to check up on me, I stood up and tried to run my fingers through my tangled hair. I couldn't do much about the baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. I froze, however, when I heard a familiar voice ask, "Is Bella home?"

In a daze, I stumbled to the front door. James was standing on the porch, right out in the open for God and Charlie and the whole world to see. I had expected him to show up in my room after dark, not ring the doorbell and chat with my dad. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses, effectively hiding his blood red eyes. Regrettably, it was pouring down rain, rendering his choice of accessories a bit odd. He stood with his arms crossed, hiding his disfigured hand. Charlie glanced back at me questioningly before turning back to James. "And who are you?"

"Bill. I'm a… friend of Bella's," James answered, pausing significantly before the word 'friend.' He smirked and nodded at me. "Hey babe."

"Um, yeah… this is Bill." I scrambled for an explanation. "I met him at the Newton's store. He was looking for some camp equipment. He's going to help me pick out some stuff for Edward. You know, 'cause Edward likes camping. And I wanted to get him something for a gift. For, um, you know, that thing…" My voice trailed off. Charlie's eyebrows rose higher with every sentence that came out of my mouth.

"For your wedding?" James added helpfully. A self-satisfied smirk spread across his face.

"Yeah," I said, with a sinking feeling in my stomach. This was really not helping to convince Charlie that I was ready for marriage.

"I don't know that Bella is ready to out right now," Charlie said, eyeing my disheveled outfit.

James shrugged and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "That's okay. I can wait," he answered pleasantly. He took a step forward, clearly indicating his readiness to enter the house.

"What happened to your hand?" Charlie asked gruffly, stubbornly blocking the doorway.

"Dad!" I grabbed his arm and dragged him from the door. "Don't you have a ballgame to watch," I said through clenched teeth. "You can wait in the kitchen," I called over to my shoulder to James as I tugged my dad toward the living room. I shoved the remote control in his hand and pushed him toward his easy chair.

"Who is that guy, Bella?" Charlie asked, clearly not willing to let the subject drop.

"I told you, Dad. He's just someone I met at work who's helping me pick out some stuff for Edward. I wouldn't know what to choose on my own."

"Couldn't Mike or his dad help you out with that? Or Jacob?"

I looked at Charlie skeptically. "Jacob? Help me pick out a wedding gift for Edward? He won't even talk to me right now."

"Fine, I get it. Just be careful with that guy. He doesn't look very trustworthy." Charlie sank down into his chair, clicking on the television.

"You thought the same thing about Edward," I said as I walked out of the room. As I passed by the kitchen on my way to the stairs, I hissed at James, "I'll deal with you in a minute." In reply, he tilted his head to the side and twisted his mouth into an exaggerated pout. I glared at him and stomped up the stairs.

Up in my room, I stared helplessly in my closet. What do you wear on an impromptu and completely unwanted date with a psychotic vampire?

* * *

AN: I will finish this story. I promise!


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